


nightmare

by gamux



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mental Institution, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-14 21:00:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3425432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gamux/pseuds/gamux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’s screaming and writhing and clawing at his face and she’s screaming right back with tears in her eyes, shaking him and trying to snap him out of the twisted dream world he’s trapped in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nightmare

Sleep is fleeting in the asylum.

She's on the floor, trapped in a tangle of sheets, bewildered and scared by the horrendous noise that echoes around the small room and sends chills up her spine. She scans the room frantically, blind in the dark. Her fingers find a switch and the lamp on her bedside table flickers on, throwing light onto a scene that terrifies her to the very core of her being.

Rythian is on the floor as well, inches from her feet, writhing and tossing and turning, engaging in a fight with a monster only he can see. His fingers drag long red marks down his face and his arms, drawing blood in places. 

And all the time he never stops screaming.

She panics, scared, scared for him and scared for herself. He lashes out and narrowly misses kicking her. Zoeya shrinks back, wide-eyed.

"Rythian!" she shouts, cupping her hands to amplify the sound. She doubts anyone can hear her desperate plea over the tortured noise escaping his throat.

One hand flies out and connects with an audible crack against the edge of the bed. She's almost sure something just broke. She blinks back tears and reaches out. The instant she touches his shoulder he grabs at her, raking his nails down her arm and throwing it off. She gives a cry at the flash of pain and cradles her arm to her chest, inspecting the trail of jagged scratches left behind.

But she tries again. And again and again he grabs her and mars her skin even more.

He starts to calm down and she finally manages to keep her grip, pinning his arms as best she can. Still he struggles madly, knocking his head against hers, feet sliding on the floor in a weak attempt of kicking. She grits her teeth and hangs on.

"Rythian! Rythian, wake up! You're here, you're safe, I'm with you, see? Please, stop!"

She repeats over and over, her voice wavering and cracking as she cries. It melts into a pleading chant of his name. He gradually gets quieter, the intensity of his thrashing decreasing until he stops screaming and slumps in her arms. Her heart stops in her chest as his breathing seems to cease with his struggle.

Then he wakes, sucking in a huge breath as though surfacing from underwater, scrambling to his feet. He brings his hands to face and frowns when they come away wet with blood. He wipes them off, wincing, the broken fingers protesting the brisk movement.

"...Rythian?" she asks tentatively.

He seems surprised by her presence. With her arms up, protecting her face, he sees the damage he's done.

"Z-Zoeya, I'm sorry, I-" Rythian drops to his knees in front of her and pulls her into a hug, whispering apologies into the crook of her neck. He sits back, kissing her temple. He grabs her hands and though she tries to wriggle away he keeps her in place. Critical eyes run over the reddened marks and he looks close to crying.

"I'm so sorry, Zoeya, I didn't mean to-"

"I know, Rythian, I know. It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're alright."

"I'm sorry I scared you." he sighs, squeezing her hands and resting their foreheads together.

The door is thrown open and light spills into the room. Teep stands there, signing hurriedly. They're both too exhausted to decipher his frenzied hand movements but they can guess the gist of it.

"We're okay, Teep." Rythian says. He gestures vaguely to their skin-deep injuries. "Mostly."

Teep puts a hand on his chest and makes a show of breathing out a relieved sigh, visibly relaxing. They stand up and he moves forward, wrapping his big arms around them. They both smile and Rythian even chuckles, returning the embrace.

The asylum is a nightmare.

Their friendship is a dream.


End file.
